System and Method for Controlling Free Phone Calls Through an Institutional Phone System

ABSTRACT

A method of controlling free phone calls places from within a secured premises through an institutional phone system generally includes assigning a unique access identifier to an individual caller upon entry into the secured premises; receiving a destination number from the individual caller within the secured premises, the destination number being associated with a telephone located outside the secured premises; determining if the destination number is a per se free number, and, if the destination number is not determined to be a per se free number: receiving the unique access identifier from the individual caller; validating the unique access identifier; and, if the unique access identifier is valid, processing a telephone call to the destination number.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a. Field of the Invention

The instant invention relates generally to telecommunication servicesthat are provided through an institutional phone system, such as thephone system in a correctional institution. In particular, the instantinvention relates to a system and method for managing and monitoringfree phone calls placed through an institutional phone system.

b. Background Art

In the correctional industry, inmate phone calls are often controlledthrough sophisticated call processing equipment. The call processingequipment controls various aspects of the use of the telephone in orderto meet a variety of competing concerns including security,accessibility, and revenue generation. One objective of an inmatetelephone system is to maximize the security of the system and to alsomaximize the revenue produced by the system while providing the inmatewith accessibility to reasonable telecommunication services asauthorized by the institution.

One feature that inmate phone systems may provide is the ability tomaintain lists of allowed or blocked phone numbers by inmate, by classof inmate, or globally for a facility. Such lists allow the institutionto regulate who an inmate can and cannot call. As an example of a listapplied to a specific inmate, an inmate may be allowed to call his wife,but may not be allowed to call a co-defendant. As an example of a globallist, all inmates may be allowed to call the local public defender'soffice, but may be disallowed from calling local judges. This featurebalances the concern for security (e.g., disallowing calls to victims,witnesses and judges) with the concern of allowing an inmate withaccessibility for legally mandated purposes (e.g., calls to the publicdefender) or personal reasons (e.g., calls to family members).

Another feature that an inmate telephone system may provide is theability to monitor and record calls. This feature addresses the securityconcerns of the facility by allowing internal investigators to monitorwhat is occurring inside the institution and among the inmatepopulation.

This feature address the security concerns of society generally byallowing external investigators access to phone conversations thatrelate to the investigation of activities external to the institution.

Another feature that an inmate telephone system may provide is therecording and retrieval of call detail information (e.g., the identityof the caller, the called party, the time of the call, and the like).This feature is important to addressing the concerns of security andrevenue. Call detail records allow investigators to research data suchas the inmate that placed the call, the phone number that was dialed,what time the call was placed, and how long the conversation lasted.This research can often be performed by call, by inmate, by callednumber, by time of call and by any combination thereof. Investigatorscan analyze this data to determine patterns and connections betweenpeople and places that are relevant to internal and externalinvestigations. Call detail records are also the fundamental datarequired for billing calls and managing revenue.

Another feature that an inmate telephone system may provide is theability to alert and/or notify an investigator of a call of interest.This feature allows an investigator to be notified when a specificinmate makes a phone call, when a specific phone number is dialed, or acombination thereof. This feature addresses the both internal andexternal security needs by immediately alerting an investigator when aperson or pattern of interest is identified and allowing theinvestigator to immediately monitor the call, review the call details,review the call recording, or any combination thereof, for example togather intelligence.

A function of substantially all inmate phone systems is to enable thebilling of phone calls. Inmate telephone systems provide differentmethods for inmates to place and pay for calls. For example, callpayment options may include collect calling (wherein the called partypays for the call), debit calling (wherein the inmate pays for the callwith funds from their commissary account), pre-paid calling cards, andpre-paid accounts associated with a called number.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

While the inmate phone systems and features described above address, toa certain extent, the balance between security, accessibility, andrevenue, it is desirable to improve control over the use of the phonesin the secured premises by inmates or offenders that have not yet beenprocessed into the phone system and issued their identifier (e.g., aTID). This scenario typically occurs in the booking or intake area of afacility, but can exist in other areas of an institution where inmatesare held prior to being fully inprocessed. Arrestees or inmates mayremain in the intake area of an institution for hours or more, duringwhich time they remain unprocessed into the phone system. In manyjurisdictions, inmates have a right to make one phone call to a familymember, a lawyer, or an organization. The “one phone call” that aninmate is granted is typically provided at no cost while the inmate iswaiting to be inprocessed, before a TID or other identifier has beenissued to the inmate for use with the institutional telephone system.

Inmate phone providers often accommodate the “one phone call”requirement by allowing all calls made from phones in the intake orbooking area to be made at no charge to the inmate or called party andwithout any TBD or other identifier being provided by the inmate. Thissubstantially unrestricted access, however, negatively impacts securityand revenue. Though inmates are often permitted a limited number of freephone calls upon arrest and intake to a correctional institution, thereality is that inmates often have unrestricted access to the freetelephones while they remain in the intake area awaiting processing.This situation exists because the alternative requires correctionalofficers to physically control and regulate inmate access to and use ofthe free telephone. In most institutions, it is not feasible for anofficer to provide this level of control, as the officers are fullytasked with processing inmates and maintaining physical security of theintake area. Further, because the inmate phone provider is typicallyresponsible for absorbing the operating cost of carrying the freebooking calls, institutional managers (e.g., superintendents andwardens) are often unwilling to commit officer resources to providephysical control over the free phones even if resources are otherwisesufficient to do so. As a result, both the inmate phone provider and theinstitution lose significant revenue as inmates make unrestricted freephone calls while waiting to be processed. This loss of revenue isrelatively easy to quantify.

Less measurable are the negative effects that uncontrolled access toinmate calling services has on security. With unlimited free call accesswhile awaiting processing, arrestees can use the inmate calling systemnot only to make permitted calls (e.g., to an attorney or familymember), but also to make impermissible calls (e.g., to a witness orvictim). Further, without the use of some form of authentication oridentification on a free phone call, investigators lose the ability toutilize the investigative tools discussed above (e.g., searching callrecordings, analyzing call details of a specific inmate, discoveringrelationships between inmates and called telephone numbers), and manyother investigative capabilities.

It is an object of the present invention to enable an inmate telephonesystem to provide free calls.

Implementation of many of the features discussed above relies upon theability to identify the inmate using the phone. In order to implementfeatures specific to the inmate using the phone, the phone system mustprovide some way to authenticate and/or identify the user. This can bedone, for example, through the use of a Telephone ID (TID), a biometric,or other authentication technique.

It is an object of the invention disclosed herein to improve the balancebetween security, revenue, and accessibility in connection with freecalls made using an institutional telephone system.

While the booking facility is often located within the correctionsfacility, it is contemplated that the booking facility may also belocated offsite. In either situation, the booking facility is preferablya secured premises with controlled ingress and egress.

The present invention provides a method of controlling free phone callsplaced from within a secured premises through an institutional phonesystem. This method generally includes the steps of: assigning a uniqueaccess identifier to an individual caller upon entry into the securedpremises; receiving a destination number from the individual callerwithin the secured premises, the destination number being associatedwith a telephone located outside the secured premises; determining ifthe destination number is a per se free number, and, if the destinationnumber is not determined to be a per se free number: receiving theunique access identifier from the individual caller; validating theunique access identifier; and if the unique access identifier is valid,processing a telephone call to the destination number. Optionally, themethod includes: defining a database of per se free numbers, wherein thestep of determining if the destination number is a per se free numberincludes checking the database of per se free numbers to determine ifthe destination number matches an entry in the database of per se freenumbers. In some embodiments of the invention, the step of validatingthe unique access identifier includes: comparing the unique accessidentifier to a database of active access identifiers to determinewhether the unique access identifier matches an entry in the database ofactive access identifiers; and determining whether one or more freecalls remain authorized for the unique access identifier.

The present invention also provides a method of controlling free phonecalls placed using an institutional telephone system, generallyincluding the following steps: storing a database of unique accessidentifiers, the database of unique access identifiers including aplurality of active access identifiers; receiving an access identifierfrom a caller attempting to place a free call using the institutionaltelephone system; checking the database of unique access identifiers todetermine if the received access identifier matches one of the pluralityof active access identifiers; and if the received access identifiermatches one of the plurality of active access identifiers, permittingthe caller to place a free call using the institutional telephonesystem. Typically, the plurality of active access identifiers includesthose unique access identifiers currently authorized for one or morefree calls (e.g., unexpired in-service access identifiers with one ormore free calls remaining).

Also disclosed herein is a system for controlling free phone callsplaced through an institutional phone system. The system includes: atleast one telephone device; an access identifier database, the accessidentifier database including a plurality of active access identifiers;an access identifier input device coupled to the at least one telephonedevice; and a free call control processor that determines whether adestination number input at the at least one telephone device is a perse free number and, if the destination number is not a per se freenumber, validates an access identifier input at the access identifierinput device against the access identifier database. The accessidentifier input device may be a telephone keypad (e.g., the keypad onthe at least one telephone device). Alternatively, the access identifierinput device may be a biometric input device (e.g., a fingerprintscanner).

The present invention advantageously provides functionality beyond thefunctionality provided by many inmate phone providers. The inventiondisclosed herein provides a method to control the number of free callsmade by an inmate that is awaiting processing in the phone system. Inaddition, the present invention advantageously provides a mechanism forinvestigators to identify the inmate participating in a free call forpurposes of analysis and investigation. The present invention therebyaddresses the shortcomings of existing inmate phone systems, leading toincreased security and revenue, without adversely impacting thereasonable access of an incarcerated individual to telecommunicationsservices.

The foregoing and other aspects, features, details, utilities, andadvantages of the present invention will be apparent from reading thefollowing description and claims, and from reviewing the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overview of an inmate telephone system including free callcontrol functionality according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart that illustrates one method of free callprocessing according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and system for controlling freetelephone calls made using an institutional telephone system. The term“institutional telephone system” (or “institutional phone system”) asused herein refers to a telephone system installed in an environmentwherein it is desirable to control or regulate telephone usage,including, without limitation, correctional facilities, militaryinstallations, hospitals, schools, business offices, and governmentoffices. Though the present invention will be described in connectionwith the corrections industry, and in particular in connection with atelephone system that permits free calls in a correctional facility'sinitial holding and/or inprocessing area, it should be understood thatthe invention is not so limited. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the principles disclosed herein may be employed to goodadvantage in any telephone system where it is desirable to regulate orcontrol the placement of telephone calls.

The free call control system according to the present invention may beimplemented as an enhancement to an inmate telephone system, such as theITI Offender Communication System. Of course, the free call controlsystem disclosed herein may also be implemented in connection with otherinmate telephone systems, including, but not limited to, GlobalTel*Link's LazerPhone system, Securus Technologies' Secure CallPlatform, Pay-Tel Communications, Inc.'s inmate telephone system, andPCS Corporation's Inmate Communications Systems. One of ordinary skillin the art will generally appreciate the functions and capabilities ofan inmate telephone system. Thus, inmate telephone systems, such asthose listed above, are described herein only to the extent necessary tounderstand the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a free call control system 10, forexample an inmate telephone system including free call controlfunctionality. The free call control system generally includes one ormore telephone devices 12 (referred to herein as “free phones”), whichare coupled to one or more phone system servers 16, for example throughconnection block 14. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat telephone devices 12 may be coupled to phone system servers 16through other means, such as hard-wiring, without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. Only one phone system server16 is illustrated in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.

The phone system server 16 is coupled to one or more databases, such asan inmate database 18, a configuration database 20, and an access IDdatabase 22. The term “database” as used herein includes, but is notlimited to, relational databases in which a plurality of data sets areassociated with each other and stored, preferably as one or morerecords. The database may be stored in a single medium or may be storedin multiple media interconnected by a network. The term “database” alsoincludes any collection of related data organized and stored in anelectronic format (e.g., a delimited ASCII file).

Free call control system 10 may also include one or more workstations 24coupled to one or more printers 25. As described in further detailbelow, workstations 24 and printers 25 may be used to issue free callaccess IDs to individuals.

A caller using one of the free telephones 12 may be connected to acalled party 26 through network 28, which may be the PSTN, a cellularnetwork, VOIP, or any other telephony network technology.

Free call control system 10 utilizes a set of configuration items tocontrol behavior of the system, such as the number of free calls that anindividual may place. Configuration items may also include the length ofan access ID, the number of free calls that an access ID may be used tocomplete, the length of time that an access ID is valid after it isissued, the length of time that an access ID is valid after its firstuse, the length of time after which an expired access ID may be reused(e.g., recycle time), and the like. Thus, configuration items facilitateadapting the free call control system 10 to the various operationalrules of the facility in which free call control system 10 is installed.

Preferably, configuration items are stored in configuration database 20.One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, however, thatconfiguration items may be stored in a variety of other ways, such as ina properties file or an initialization file, without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

Free call control system 10 also typically contains a database 22 ofaccess IDs. The term “access ID” refers to a unique identifier that canbe recognized by the free call control system 10 to control the numberof free calls being made by an individual. Access IDs may also be storedfor future reference, for example to aid in identifying the individualthat placed a particular call. As described above, it is contemplatedthat the syntax for access IDs, expiration of access IDs, recycle timeof access IDs, and the like may be governed by configuration itemsstored in configuration database 20. Of course, database 22 of accessIDs may include only currently valid/active access IDs (e.g., unexpired,in-service access IDs with free calls remaining), or all access IDs,both valid/active/in-service and invalid/expired/out-of-service. Eachaccess ID stored within database 22 may be associated with additionalinformation, such as a validity/invalidity (or active/expired) flag, thenumber of free calls remaining on the access ID, the time until theaccess ID expires, the time at which the access ID expires, and thelike.

One suitable method of generating access IDs is to generate an accesscode as a random alphanumeric sequence of preset length (e.g., a sixdigit number). Depending on the configuration of the free call controlsystem 10, this system-generated access ID may be set to expire within apreset time period after it is generated, a preset time period after itis first used to make a free call, after a preset number of free callsare placed using the access ID, or some combination thereof (e.g., thesooner of 30 minutes after first use or 3 free phone calls). Moreover,the configuration of the free call control system 10 may provide that anexpired access ID may be reused after it has been inactive for a presetperiod of time (e.g., after a period of 30 days).

System-generated access IDs are preferably produced on a printed outputthat may be provided to the arrestee for use in placing one or more freecalls. This concept is analogous to providing an arrestee with a quarterfor a payphone to place one call, in that it facilitates having a finitelimit on the number of free calls that can be placed, but provides formuch greater flexibility and control over the process. In someembodiments of the invention, the workstation 24 and attached printer 25are used to print free call access ID cards for distribution toarrestees. These free call access ID cards may be provided on a two partform containing the access ID and, in some embodiments of the invention,instructions for using the telephone 12. One part of the form containingthe access ID (and, if present, the instructions) can be given to thearrestee, while the other part of the form containing the access ID canbe attached to the arrestee's intake record to aid in identifying andsearching calls made by the arrestee (e.g., to facilitate identificationof the arrestee that possessed a particular access ID during aparticular time frame). If desired, the access ID can also betransferred to the inmate phone system (or, alternatively, to anoffender management system) for the purpose of enabling theinmate-related security and investigation features of an inmate phonesystem listed above. For example, the access ID can be associated withthe inmate's record in the inmate phone system and/or offendermanagement system as an additional item of data by which the inmate'stelephone calls may be searched.

As an alternative to system-generated access IDs, access IDs may beaccepted as unique numbers from an external system, such as the arrestnumber from a police records management system, provided, of course,that the externally-generated identifier is unique.

In still other embodiments of the invention, a biometric, such as avoiceprint or a fingerprint, may be used as the access ID. If abiometric is being used as the access ID, a configuration item may beprovided that “resets” the number of free calls allowed to the access IDafter a preset period of time. This allows for an individual who isre-arrested to receive additional free calls upon re-arrest.

Of course, it is also within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention to combine multiple forms of access ID (e.g., requiring both asystem-generated access ID and a biometric).

The free call control system 10 may also be coupled to a database 18 ofinmate or arrestee information. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that this database 18 may be contained within the free callcontrol system 10, within an inmate telephone system, within an offendermanagement system, or any combination thereof. The inmate database 18may contain, for example, identification and demographic data aboutinmates that have used the phone system. The inmate database 18contemplated by the present invention is typically populated at somepoint after the inmate has used the phone system to place one or morefree calls and the inmate has been enrolled into the inmate telephonesystem (or, alternatively, into an offender management system) It isalso within the spirit and scope of the present invention, however, topopulate the inmate database 18 prior to use of the telephones 12 by theinmates (e.g., during initial booking).

In embodiments where the free call control system 10 is associated withan inmate telephone system and/or offender management system, it iscontemplated that the access ID may be associated with an inmate'srecord after the inmate has ultimately been enrolled into the inmatetelephone system and/or offender management system. Thus, any callrecords and recordings of any calls made by the inmate using the freecall access ID may be merged to the inmate's record in the inmatetelephone system or offender management system. This advantageouslyincorporates all inmate calls under one telephone ID (TID), whetherplaced before or after enrollment into the inmate telephone systemand/or offender management system, such that all calls ever placed bythe inmate are readily available through the security and investigativetools that may be provided by the inmate phone system and/or offendermanagement system.

Phone system server 16 includes a free call control processor. The term“processor” as used herein refers to a computer microprocessor and/or asoftware program (e.g., a software Module or separate program) that isdesigned to be executed by one or more microprocessors running on one ormore computer systems. The free call control processor processes freecalls in accordance with the present invention.

One Method of processing free calls will be described in connection withthe flowchart of FIG. 2. In step 100, the free call control processorreceives an input from the caller initiating the call using one of theplurality of free phones 12 to determine if a free call is beingrequested, or if a collect or debit call is being requested instead. Ifthe Caller has not requested a free call, the “NO” exit is taken fromdecision block 102, and the call is processed normally in step 104.

If the caller has requested to make a free call, the “YES” exit is takenfrom decision block 102, and the caller is prompted to input thedestination number in step 106. The destination number is typicallyassociated with a telephone located outside the secured premises. Indecision block 108, the destination number is checked to determine if itis always allowed to be placed for free (a “per se free” number), suchas a call to the public defender or to a local bail bondsman. If thedestination number is per se free, the “YES” exit is taken from decisionblock 108 and the call is processed normally in step 110.

The free call control system 10 may utilize a free call database of perse free numbers. For example, a system administrator may define a freecall database of phone numbers that are pre-approved as free calls,including, for example, an approved attorney's phone number, a legal aidphone number, and the like. Preferably, the numbers used to populate thefree call database are associated with telephones located outside thesecured premises from which the inmates make their calls. One ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that this free call databasemay be contained within the free call control system 10, within aninmate telephone system, within an offender management system, or anycombination thereof. It should also be appreciated that the database ofper se free numbers may be included in configuration database 20. Thefree call database may then be accessed to see if the number requestedto be dialed is contained within the pre-established list of per se freenumbers.

If the number is not per se free (e.g., it is not contained in the freecall database), the “NO” exit is taken from decision block 108 and thecaller is prompted to enter a free call access code in step 112. Asdescribed above, the free call access code may be a system-generatedaccess ID, another access ID, a biometric, or a combination thereof.

In decision block 114, the access code is validated. That is, the inputaccess code is checked against access codes in the access ID database22. If the input access code is valid (e.g., it matches an active,in-service access ID in the database 22), the “YES” exit is taken fromdecision block 114, and the access code is checked to determine whetherfree calls remain (e.g., whether the input access code complies with aconfiguration item stored in configuration database 20) in decisionblock 116. If free calls remain, the “YES” exit is taken from decisionblock 116, and the free call is processed in step 118 (e.g., the calleris connected to the called party 26 via telephony network 28). If allfree calls have been exhausted, the “NO” exit is taken from decisionblock 116, and the process ends.

If the input access code is invalid (e.g., it does not match an active,in-service access ID in the database 22), the “NO” exit is taken fromdecision block 114, and, in decision block 120, the system determineswhether the caller is permitted to retry entry of the access code. Itshould be understood that the maximum permissible number of retries maybe provided as a configuration item stored in configuration database 20.If further retries remain, the “NO” exit is taken from decision block120, and the process returns to step 112. If no further retries remain,the “YES” exit is taken from decision block 120, and the process ends.

Although several embodiments of this invention have been described abovewith a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art couldmake numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departingfrom the spirit or scope of this invention. For example, though thepresent invention has been described in connection with a single phonesystem server 16 including a single free call processor, the methodsdescribed above may be executed by one or more computer systems,including suitable input, output, and storage devices or interfaces, andmay be software implemented (e.g., one or more software programs ormodules executed by one or more computer systems of processors),hardware implemented (e.g., a series of instructions stored in one ormore solid state devices), or a combination of both. The computer may bea conventional general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, adistributed computer (such as two physically-separated computers thatare linked via an intranet or the Internet), or any other type ofcomputer. Further, the computer may comprise one or more processors,such as a single central processing unit or a plurality of processingunits, commonly referred to as a parallel processing environment.

Therefore, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structuremay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

1. A computer implemented method for limiting a quantity of free phonecalls placed by a pre-processed user through a phone system, comprising:determining Whether the pre-processed user is qualified to place thefree phone call requested by the preprocessed user before thepre-processed user is processed and becomes a processed user; connectingthe free phone call without charging the pre-processed user when thepre-processed user is qualified to place the free phone call before thepre-processed user is processed and becomes a processed user; anddenying the connection of the free phone call when the pre-processeduser is not qualified. to place the free phone call before thepre-processed user is processed and becomes a processed user.
 2. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: assigning atemporary unique access identifier to the pre-processed user, whereinthe temporary unique access identifier is assigned before thepreprocessed User is processed and assigned a permanent unique accessidentifier; and verifying whether the temporary unique access identifieris valid for the free phone call requested by the pre-processed user,wherein the temporary unique access identifier is verified for the freephone call before the pre-processed user is processed and assigned thepermanent unique access identifier.
 3. The computer implemented methodof claim 1, wherein the phone system is configured to serve a securepremises.
 4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein thetemporary unique access identifier is assigned to the preprocessed userwhen the pre-processed user is in an intake area for the securepremises.
 5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, furthercomprising: tracking the quantity of each free phone call placed by thepre-processed user; tracking free phone call information of each freephone call placed by the pre-processed user; and storing free phone callinformation of each free phone call placed by the preprocessed user. 6.The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprisingtransferring the free phone call information stored for the preprocesseduser to the permanent access identifier when the pre-processed user isprocessed and assigned the permanent access identifier.
 7. The computerimplemented method of claim 2, further comprising: terminating thetemporary unique access identifier for the pre-processed user when theuser is processed and assigned the permanent unique access identifier.8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:providing a quantity of allowed free phone calls to be connected for thepre-processed user; deducting a unit from a quantity of allowed freephone calls each time the free phone call is connected; and denying theconnection of an additional free phone call when the quantity of allowedfree phone calls has been deducted to substantially zero.
 9. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the denying furthercomprises: denying the connection of the additional free phone call whena period of allowed free phone calls for the pre-processed user isexpired.
 10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, furthercomprising: resetting the quantity of allowed free phone calls to beconnected for the pre-processed user after the pre-processed user isprocessed and assigned the permanent unique access identifier.
 11. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the verifying comprises:determining whether a destination phone number for the free phone callis an authorized destination phone number, wherein the authorizeddestination phone number includes a destination that is substantiallylikely not to be harmed by the connection of the free call.
 12. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: determiningwhether the destination phone number for the free phone call is a per sefree phone call, wherein the per se free phone call is substantiallyalways connected; and automatically connecting the per se free phonecall without verifying whether the temporary unique access identifier isvalid.
 13. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein a.quantity of allowed per se free phone calls is substantially unlimited.14. A phone system, comprising: a free call control processor configuredto: determine whether the pre-processed user is qualified to place thefree phone call requested by the pre-processed user before thepre-processed user is processed and becomes a processed user, connectthe free phone call without charging the pre-processed user when thepre-processed user is qualified to place the free phone call before thepre-processed user is processed and becomes a processed user, and denythe connection of the free phone call when the pre-processed user is notqualified to place the free phone call before the pre-processed user isprocessed and becomes a processed user; and a pre-processed userdatabase configured to store identification data for the pre-processedUser.
 15. The phone system of claim 14, further comprising: an accessidentifier database configured to store a plurality of temporary uniqueaccess identifiers, wherein the plurality of temporary unique accessidentifiers is stored before the pre-processed user is processed andassigned a permanent unique access identifier; and an access identifierdatabase controller configured to assign the temporary unique accessidentifier from the plurality of temporary unique access identifiersthat is included in the access identifier database to the pre-processeduser, wherein the temporary unique access identifier is assigned to thepre-processed user before the pre-processed user is processed andassigned the permanent unique access identifier.
 16. The phone system ofclaim 14, wherein the phone system is configured to serve a securepremises.
 17. The phone system of claim 16, wherein the temporary uniqueaccess identifier is assigned to the preprocessed User when thepre-processed user is in an intake area for the secure premises.
 18. Thephone system of claim 14, wherein the free call control processor isfurther configured to: provide a quantity of allowed free phone calls tobe connected for the pre-processed user; deduct a unit from a quantityof allowed free phone calls each time the free phone call is connected;and deny the connection of an additional free phone call when thequantity of allowed free phone calls has been deducted to substantiallyzero.
 19. The phone system of claim 18, wherein the free call controlprocessor is further configured to deny the connection of the additionalfree phone call when a period of allowed free phone calls for thepre-processed user is expired.
 20. The phone system of claim 14, whereinthe free call processor is further configured to: track the quantity ofeach free phone call placed by the preprocessed user and track freephone call information of each free phone call placed by thepre-processed user.